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Wambidgee (1962)

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The chief wakes up

Original classification rating: G. This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

This clip is from the twelfth and final episode of Wambidgee, 'The Chief Wakes Up’. Wambidgee wakes the chief from sleep and tell him that there is a crocodile in the creek. The chief feels too tired and tells Wambidgee to deal with the crocodile. He then sends his son, Tomki, to visit the 'witch doctor’, Gerribung, to get some medicine.

Curator’s notes

This clip shows the influence of Namatjira’s paintings on the set design for this series. This is particularly present in the ochre-red earth, mountains, gum trees and colours of the desert sky. This clip is generally notable for the collision of Australiana, with a kookaburra, koalas and an emu all present on the set.

This was the final episode of Wambidgee and the technical quality of the animation has greatly improved over the 12 episodes. Unlike clip one, these scenes are mostly filmed in close-up which allows us to better appreciate the movement of the puppet’s mouth and blinking eyes as Wambidgee talks with the chief.

There are amusing touches in the character design, such as Gerribung’s missing teeth and the chief’s pot belly. But is the sleepy chief an amusing archetype to entertain children or a racist stereotype of a lazy Aboriginal man? Given the lack of creative involvement of Indigenous Australians in the making of this program, and the time when it was made, it’s hard to be sure.

Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer The chief wakes up from the television program Wambidgee as a high quality video download.

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Downloadable Video – FOR EDUCATIONAL CRITICISM AND REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY

This clip is available for download for the limited purpose of criticism and review in an educational context. You must obtain permission from editorial@aso.gov.au for all other purposes for use of this material.

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This clip is available in the following configurations:

File nameSizeQualitySuitability
wambidge2_pr.mp4 Large: 14.4MB High Optimised for full-screen display on a fast computer.
wambidge2_bb.mp4 Medium: 6.8MB Medium Can be displayed full screen. Also suitable for video iPods.

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Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer this clip in an embeddable format for personal or non-commercial educational use in full form on your own website or your own blog.

You must read and agree to the following terms and conditions before embedding the clip:

Downloadable Video – FOR EDUCATIONAL CRITICISM AND REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY

This clip is available for download for the limited purpose of criticism and review in an educational context. You must obtain permission from editorial@aso.gov.au for all other purposes for use of this material.

Terms & Conditions

australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described here and elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions. ALL rights are reserved.

You must read and agree to the following terms and conditions before downloading this clip:

When you access ABC materials on australianscreen you agree that:

  1. You may download this clip to assist your information, criticism and review purposes in conjunction with viewing this website only;
  2. Downloading this clip for purposes other than criticism and review is Prohibited;
  3. Downloading for purposes other than non-commercial educational uses is Prohibited;
  4. Downloading this clip in association with any commercial purpose is Prohibited;

The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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